The Hope pioneer., 1887-08-19

haQ Deen TOUR hours before, but in the
meantime the country had been aroused
and Piper City, and as the dead were laid
reverently alongside of each other out in
the corn-field, there were ready hands to
take them into Chatsworth, while some of
the wounded were carried to Piper City.
~ Une e hundred and eighteen was the awful
four times that many. The full tale of the
dead cannot, however, be told yet for days.
Chetsworth was turned into morgue.
The town hall, the engine house and the de-
pot were all full of dead bodies, while every
house in the little village had its quota Of
the wounded. There were over one hun
dred corpses lying in extemporized dead
houses, and every man and woman turned
INTO an ameteur but Jealous nurse. Over in
a lumber yard the noise of hammers and
| saws rang out in the air, and in it busy car
penters were making rough coffins to carry
| to their homes the dead bodies of the excur-
slonlsts who, IL hours previous, had left
| their homes full of pleasurable expectations.
One OF the survivors relates that as he
first engine cleared the bridge the brush
beneath it famed up as if oil had been
lgnlted. He was fast in the wreck and
called for assistance He was aided by
| some one outside, and as soon as he was
| safely out of the wreck his rescuer grasped
his watch and tore it from him. Another
man was robbed of his chain, the vandal
failing to get bis watch. Also the fingers of
the dead, upon which were valuable rings.
were cut off. The robbingof the dead and
injured geve rise to the terrible report
that the bridge had been fired and the train
purposely wrecked for the sake of plunder.
But no confidence is placed in the report
here. 1t is believed that the robbing was
the work of vandals who happened to be at
hand.
When the dead bodies were laid out in the
corn fields these hyenas turned them overin
their search for valuables; and that the
plunder was done by an organized gang
out in the cornield, 16 purses, all empty,
were found in one heap. 1t was a CHASTITY
plundering, and had the plunderers been
caught, they would surely have been
lynched.
| Additional deaths from the excursion
train accident now make the number of
dead 156. Testimony is being given to a
Coroner's jury and the Railroad Commits
sion of the state will investigate If it be to
| show that the railroad company was guilty
of negligence the liability that will follow
to the dead and injured with be almost or
quite million dollars, a claim that would
suffice to bankrupt the road. The belief is
growing that the bridge was set on fire for
the purpose of wrecking the train, affordine
an opportunity to rob the passengers.
But one death is reported since the last sum
| mary, ana the wounded are said to be doing
very well. At Peoria and other adjacent
places the mournful ceremonies of burial OF
the dead have taken place, and the people
at that place, at Chatsworth and Piper
| City are most devoted to those lying in the
hospitals and if skill and kindly care can
avail the sufferers have every chance for
restoration. The last vestige Of the wreck
has been cleared away, but the sorrow for
the lost remains to the hearts of the
people forever. An expert examination
| of the burned bridge over the fated culvert
has been made by J. o. Chapman, Profes.
sor OF Civil Engineering in the Illinois Uni
yersity, and he gives it as his opinion that
| weight Of the train had not it's lower tim
bers been weakened by fire. Prof Chap.
man says he finds no traces of incendiary
| firing Of the bridge, but on the other hand
| is of the opinion that the fire left by the
section men late in the afternoon, who
were, by their own testimony, burning the
grass only 40 rods away, was driven down
to the culvert after they left by slight
change of wind. Otherwise it is possible
that sparks from the special train of the
| superintendent of bridges, the last train be-
fore the fateful excursion, kindled in the
grass near the culvert and burned slowly
for long time, and finally fired the culvert.
Two more deaths have occurred at
| Chatsworth, but otherwise the situation
remained unchanged. In regard to the
| adjustment of claims by the railroad com.
pany it is said that as soon as the whole
matter can be looked up by the stockholders
settlements will be made without delay OF
any resort to the courts.